Perth researchers are leading an innovative international clinical trial focused on preventing the spread of COVID-19 by testing the effectiveness of the drug interferon in reducing the infectiousness of people who contract the virus, while at the same time increasing the resistance to infection in their close contacts.
The trial – CONCORD-19 – will track more than 300 Santiago families where there is a positive COVID-19 case, with the hope of reducing the rate of transmission of COVID-19 within families and communities. Currently, there are about 1800 cases a day on average in Chile, including about 500 in Santiago alone.
Researchers will be testing the effectiveness of treating infected people and their uninfected household contacts with interferon-beta, with the aim of evaluating whether this drug reduces the spread of SARS-Cov-2 and its damaging effects on human health.
CONCORD-19 co-lead Professor Stephen Stick, Director of the Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre, said the Centre was well-positioned to help in the fight against the pandemic.
“This study provides a unique opportunity for WA to contribute to solutions for halting the COVID-19 pandemic,” Professor Stephen Stick said.
“We have some of the world’s leading infectious disease experts based right here in Perth, and we are collaborating with teams in Chile and Canada to develop a weapon in the fight against this devastating disease.
“Our aim is to use interferon to stop transmission of the virus from infected cases to household contacts, and therefore helping to stop this disease in its tracks.”
An exploratory study in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China (the original epicentre of the current pandemic) by Dr Eleanor Fish, from University Health Network and University of Toronto, and Professor Tobias Kollmann, from The Kids Research Institute Australia, found interferon therapy reduced the duration that a patient was infectious, by about one week. It is these results that formed the basis of the CONCORD-19 trial.
Interferon is a naturally occurring protein that is known to boost the immune system and help the body fight infection, and it is commonly used to treat people with multiple sclerosis. In addition, interferons have been shown to be very safe and to have positive effects in clinical trials against other coronaviruses, including SARS and MERS. In this study, the drug will be given via an injection.
The international trial is being led by the Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre – a powerhouse partnership between The Kids Research Institute Australia, Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation and Perth Children’s Hospital based in Western Australia. In Chile, it is being led by the School of Medicine at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
The CONCORD-19 study has been made possible thanks to a $2.665 million donation to the Institute from BHP Australia’s Vital Resources Fund.
People who are participating in the research will be randomly assigned to either treatment with interferon-beta 1a, generously provided by Biogen, or the standard of care for COVID-19, and household members will be followed for one month.
CONCORD-19 is co-led by Dr Castro-Rodríguez and Professor Stephen Stick, and with a multidisciplinary team of co-investigators including Dr Arturo Borzutzky, RN Carolina Iturriaga; Dr Cecilia Perret and Dr Diego García-Huidobro from Chile; Professor Tobias Kollmann, of The Kids Research Institute Australia; and Dr Eleanor Fish from University Health Network and University of Toronto, Canada.
This study was originally designed to take place in Perth but was relocated to Chile to meet demand there. It was renamed from the CoCo Trial in accordance with Chilean requirements.
About Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre:
The Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre is a global epicentre for paediatric respiratory research informing clinical practice and driving a new research agenda for childhood lung health. A powerhouse partnership between The Kids Research Institute Australia, Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation and Perth Children’s Hospital, the Centre aims to prevent and cure respiratory illness in children and ensure that all children have healthy lungs for life. The Centre has a 30-year history of globally competitive research from diverse groups of internationally acclaimed researchers in Western Australia, working in paediatric research. For more information, visit: walyanrespiratory.org.au
About Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile:
Founded in 1888, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile is currently one of the leading higher education institutions in Latin America, ranked first in the continent for two years in a row by the Times Higher Education Ranking. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile strives to provide its students with an educational experience that motivates both personal growth and the development of an inquisitive and critical mind. One of our objectives is to educate persons who are committed to the construction of a more just and prosperous society. Our University is an important national center for research in social sciences, natural sciences, health, economics, agriculture, philosophy, theology, arts and literature. Located in a young and geographically distant country, we believe that maintaining an active exchange program with foreign universities is crucial for academic development.
For more information, visit: www.uc.cl
About University Health Network:
University Health Network consists of Toronto General and Toronto Western Hospitals, the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, and The Michener Institute of Education at UHN. The scope of research and complexity of cases at University Health Network has made it a national and international source for discovery, education and patient care. It has the largest hospital-based research program in Canada, with major research in arthritis, cardiology, transplantation, neurosciences, oncology, surgical innovation, infectious diseases, genomic medicine and rehabilitation medicine. University Health Network is a research hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto.
For more information, visit: www.uhn.ca
About University of Toronto:
Founded in 1827, the University of Toronto has evolved into Canada's leading institution of learning, discovery and knowledge creation. We are proud to be one of the world's top research-intensive universities, driven to invent and innovate. Our students have the opportunity to learn from and work with preeminent thought leaders through our multidisciplinary network of teaching and research faculty, alumni and partners. The ideas, innovations and actions of more than 590,000 graduates continue to have a positive impact on the world. For more information, visit: www.utoronto.ca